


Crow's Foot

by Moonglisten



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Crow Family, Crows, Dark Magic, Familiars, Fantasy, I'll add more later as they become relevant, M/M, Magic School, Shapeshifting, Team as Family, Witch Curses, Witches, strong family bond
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:13:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29232828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonglisten/pseuds/Moonglisten
Summary: Kageyama, a witch in training, is following down a dark and dangerous path in his practice. Due to his ever-progressing level of skill, the head of the witch school has sent him home with a dark tome that holds spells more powerful than the boy realizes. While going through the book and finding a spell on a whim, he realizes that he's missing one essential ingredient: a live crow's foot. What happens when he comes upon a helpless crow who can't fly? Will he harvest it for his potion? Or will his morals beat out his insatiable desire to learn magic?
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	Crow's Foot

“This is where the spell gets a little complicated. You have to chant the words while simultaneously mixing in toad’s blood and sprinkling in dried lavender.”

The young professor demonstrates with ease, his hands shaking in the dried plants and trickling the contents of the small vile. Whispers are heard throughout the room as the class watches in awe, the potion turning from midnight black to a warm gold, light emitting from the cauldron. When the witch finishes speaking, he all but throws in the emerald shards, watching as the contents fizzle and pop, golden sparks flying all around the room. The class ogles at the show, the witch taking a small jar and filling it with his finished product, holding it up to the light for the class to see.

“That, my students, is how to make a sleep potion!” He grins, passing the bottle around so they can see what he’s created. “The key to a perfect potion is always timing.” He watches their eyes grow curious and excited, the bottle travelling around the room to be marveled at.

“While the potion looks powerful in nature, I can assure you it is a simple sleep spell, only assuring a good night’s rest, around 7-8 hours if you use the right dosage!” He points out, his finger held up in explanation, as he adjusts his glasses.

“Now, if all of you will grab a small bottle, you may come up to the front to collect a sample for yourself. You’ll need it because I’d like you to grab a partner and work on recreating this potion for yourself! Having two people should make the process a bit easier, since multitasking the components can prove a bit difficult when you have a limited window of time.”

The class gathers to the front of the room in a noisy mass, students grabbing a ladle and dishing out the mixture, taking it back to their stations and beginning their work for the class period. He watches them experiment, shaky hands and curious glints in their eyes. The progress is slow but Takeda smiles at the display. He always enjoys watching his students learn and grow. He scans his classroom for stragglers, only to find one student working alone, as usual.

He sighs, his eyes closed as he shakes his head, hand coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He decides to walk over to the boy, situated in the back of the classroom like he always is.

“Tobio- “He starts, before realizing that the boy is hyper-focused on his work, his eyes squinting as he chants his spells, his hands making quick work of the ingredients until the potion sparks golden. Though, the boy doesn’t stop when the potion is finished, immediately taking the liquid and straining it, adding dried chamomile leaves to the smooth concoction. The potion takes to the new addition and stains itself green, the glow fading and settling into a murky green liquid. The boy then takes a handful of pre-crushed amethyst and sprinkles it in, the potion taking on a glow again, this time a warm green. He seems unfazed by the professor’s wide-eyed stare as he bottles his concoction and looks up to present his work to his Sensei.

Takeda only looks from the boy to his creation, his eyes still blown wide as his mouth gapes open. He’s stunned and unaware of the class watching their interaction.

“How did you-“

“I made it last longer” Tobio says simply, swirling the contents of the bottle in his hands, looking disinterested in his work.

“The emerald is what shortens the life of the spell, so I strained it out and added chamomile to replace the remnants of the lavender that it’d be missing. The amethyst is for peace of mind, so the user has no chance of waking due to nightmares… It was simple.” He says almost curtly, like reading the boring contents of a decade-old spell book. Takeda still stares at him in awe, a sudden worry etching itself into his chest. He’s watched him through the last week, always bored with the material but easily creating potions when asked. He’s heard from other teachers about his “experimentation with magic”, but only now is he seeing how wildly smart the boy is in person. A student like Kageyama who is progressing far faster than everyone else can only lead to serious trouble… He only hopes-

“How long does the potion last?” A deep voice calls from the door of the classroom, all eyes turning to meet the tall figure that stands looming in the doorway. A man stands there, a dark robe adorning his broad figure, a long staff holding his weight as he bores holes into Kageyama’s eyes.

The boy seems unfazed by the taller man but still stares at him while the room remains silent. There is tension between the two that the professor cannot find the source of. Takeda finds himself feeling awkward, stuck in the middle of this strange interaction, while his other students keep quiet, too afraid to break the atmosphere. Finally, the younger man breaks his eye contact, apparently done with the tension and looking down to his potion, swirling it once again in its container. He appears thoughtful for a moment, but based on his expression, the teacher knows that Kageyama is simply stalling, clearly knowing the contents and limitations of the potion he’s created.

“I’d say it could last up to a week at most. Maybe more if the user suffers from an injury that could prove harmful to the body’s energy.” He says, bored now with the conversation, looking away completely.

The man by the door stays silent for a second, two seconds, each moment ticking by slowly as if time is frozen. Then he is turning around and facing the hall. “Professor, may I have a word,” He demands, leaving no room for argument as he exits the room. Takeda swallows thickly, a shiver running up his spine as he glances back to his students. He puts on a bright smile for them, scratching the back of his head as if something’s embarrassing him.

“Keep practicing those potions until I get back. If any of you need help, remember to use your samples as reference.” He walks to the door and adds hesitantly, “If you need immediate help, just ask Kageyama.” As he turns away, he knows none of the students will ask the boy. He is far too intimidating, and he has never seen him talk to any of his classmates before; now would be no different. He sighs quietly before shutting the door to his classroom, now face to face with the old man that heads the school.

“Sir, you requested me?” He says politely, bowing to his superior as a show of respect. He only hopes the man is in decent spirits today and doesn’t lose his temper over a student’s misbehavior. Tobio Kageyama was always one to defy lessons, or so he heard from all his previous professors. He had only recently transferred into his class, easily surpassing the skill levels required to pass the lower division courses. He had barely been in his class a week, and here he was experimenting with potions and creating things outside of the lesson work. The school tended to be strict when it came to lessons and material that the instructors were teaching. They were trying to quell any kind of rebellion in students, and ulterior motives that might arise in the hearts of these witches. Tobio was quickly making his way onto the list of rebellious students, though he was able to conceal himself from the Principal until now. Nerves shook through Takeda when he thought of what may happen to the boy. He had so much potential! He was what every witch hoped to be: successful, powerful, creative, and quick-witted. If only he had the right hands to guide him! Then maybe he’d get a taste of the true power of witches, and the school wouldn’t have to worry about outside influences and corrupted magic.

“Takeda Ittetsu, who is the student that defies your lessons? Have you no control over your own students?”

Takeda feels like a shaking leaf under the gaze of the witch, though his tone expresses no true anger. He has decided to keep it neutral it seems, but he can pick out notes of curiosity in his tone. Maybe… this isn’t as bad as he suspected it may be.

“Tobio Kageyama, a first-year witch.” He explains, his shoulder becoming less tense as he points a finger in the direction of his classroom. “I teach advanced second-year classes, but he has already excelled in his other courses, so the instructors have had to bump him up a year.”

The Principal sits in thought with this information, staring through the window of the classroom and seeming to watch the actions of the student himself. He feels awkward in this silence, not sure if he should continue or wait on the man to ask more questions. The silence is broken after a good 30 seconds, when the head witch decides to speak again.

“It seems he’s already mastered the type of material you’ve given him” He nods at this information, knowing that throughout the short week he’s taught Kageyama, he has always done well on his experiments. Actually, “well” is a gross understatement. He mastered everything with ease, acting as if this magic was simply child’s play. While the potion portion of magic lessons can be easier than other types of magic, it still requires a strong foundation of magic knowledge, which Kageyama clearly has. The older witch stays watching in thought, and he can see the gears turning in his head, clearly forming some kind of idea. Takeda doesn’t know what goes through the witch’s head, but he finds a cold sense of dread arising from whatever outcome comes of this.

“Well, I think the only option now is to give him what he wants.” The Principal finally speaks, turning to the younger witch with a neutral expression, though there’s something dark in his eyes that’s clear as day. Takeda’s chest feels incredibly heavy as he takes in the look, a strong feeling of fear suddenly overtaking his system. He swallows audibly.

“Move him up another class.”

**…**

Kageyama packs up his things into his satchel bag, old books and bottles thrown in with no real concern as his classmates chatter around him, picking up their belongings and leaving as well. The room is loud and buzzing and he can feel a nasty headache starting up. With an annoyed grunt, he throws his bag over his shoulder and stalks out of the classroom without a word, missing the look his professor gives him. He also misses the way the man reaches out to him, trying to get a word in.

The narrow halls are crowded, students milling about after classes and taking up walking room. Kageyama bumps shoulders and walks with his eyes straight forward, his aura intimidating in nature. Kenma always scolded him for that, telling him it was the reason he only had one friend. Kageyama thought about that as he walked down the halls, his expression making the students around him part like he was royalty.

It wasn’t like he particularly meant to look intimidating, it was just his face. Though, maybe he should try to change that… having only one friend did take a toll on his ego. But all the other students in the school already had friend groups, making it hard to talk to just one. Besides, he doesn’t need many friends. He has Kenma, and he’s enough. He also has magic and witchhood to focus on, no time to spend with a friend group every second of the day. Everything is fine as it is, he supposed.

By the time Kageyama’s head cleared, he was by the stables, walking into the nearly empty structure and over to his designated stall. His black mare watched him with a curious tilt of her head, chuffing at him when he brought a hand to stroke through her overgrown mane. He would have to give her a trim later. He saddled her up and threw his backpack into her saddlebag, throwing his leg overtop and setting out for the trek home. The schoolyard was empty by the time he rode out of the stables, all of the students having made their exit while he was busy saddling up. Kageyama found this timing convenient. He didn’t have to leave while people stared. He also couldn’t decide what it was about. Was it because he rode a horse when very few students chose to do the same, or was it because he hadn’t been able to stay in the same class for a consecutive two weeks? He mentally made a note that a third reason might be because of his face…

These thoughts occupied his head as he rode away from the schoolgrounds, taking backroads as he trotted through the small town, ignoring the rude stares he got when he accidentally cut off more than one person. He stayed zoned out nearly the whole ride, not even the cold wind that whipped him in the face disrupting his inner monologue. He made it to the familiar path leading into the woods when he decided to urge his mare into a gallop. She complied, but there wasn’t much time for him to feel the familiar rush because she suddenly veered and reared up, nearly knocking him clean off. 

“The hell?!” He choked out, his eyes blown wide.

“Calm down! Calm down! What’s wrong?” He said in the calmest voice he could, considering the jerk nearly sent him flying into a tree. His mare had her ears on high alert as she tried to hide her face from the path. Kageyama pet her side gently, finally looking up to see a tall man standing in the middle of the trail. It was the same man that had disrupted his class, still wearing that ugly black robe from before. Kageyama scoffed, his face turning into an ugly scowl. His annoyance grew when the man looked at him, unapologetic for making him almost crash

“What do you want?” He spat, annoyed that he had interrupted his ride, therefore delaying his return home. He could’ve been there by now, the beginning of a fire heating up his house. 

The man stared at him, the beginning of anger in his old eyes and his mouth scrunching up as if to speak back in the same tone. Though, Kageyama watched his face morph into something calmer and much creepier than before. ‘What an ugly old man…What does he want with me anyway?’

“I came to inform you that you’re moving classes again.” He pulled a scroll from his cloak, opening it up enough to show Kageyama the official form for a class change. Kageyama grit his teeth at the man.

“This couldn’t have waited until Monday?” He said, annoyance now the main emotion lacing his tone. He could’ve gotten a head injury over a stupid scroll telling him he’s progressed again? No shit! He just expected the notice would be waiting for him when the weekend was over.

“Afraid not, but that’s not all I came for. I wanted to give you something.”

As annoyed as he was, curiosity overtook his brain as he watched the man summon an old tome out of thin air, the large book dropping into the man’s awaiting hands with a thud. The cover was worn and blank, the leather binding of the book dyed black. The old man looked at the book with glazed over eyes, as if the thing were a photo album that held decades worth of memories. Based on the condition of the thing, Kageyama was sure it did.

“This is an old book of advanced spells. After watching you today, I can see your immense talent in magic.” He began, walking closer to the boy on the horse, looking at the tome in his hands. His mare grew antsy, trying to shuffle away from the man, again keeping her face away from his view. Kageyama shushed her gently as he listened to the man.

“You don’t seem satisfied with the information taught in your classes. Is that right?” He said, finally looking up to make eye contact with the boy. Kageyama reels back a bit when he sees the strange expression on his face. It’s serious but behind his eyes he sees something like… excitement? Anxiousness? He can’t read the man’s emotions but reading people has never been his strong suit anyway. He responded with a curt nod, watching the man’s eyes crinkle like he was smiling.

“The best witches never are…but I’m getting ahead of myself. Here.” He reached up and gave Kageyama the book, his old hands almost antsy to get rid of the thing. The younger witch took it, not being able to deny the magic he felt pulse underneath his fingertips. So… this was the real thing, huh?

“What do I do with this?” He asked looking up.

He was met with an empty clearing, as if nobody had been there in the first place.

**…**

A small house sat in the middle of the forest, the trees surrounding it nearly bare of their leaves. The wind knocked against the wood, begging to let in the threatening chill of the air. A small stable sat to the side of the house, a black mare tucked away for the night, already nested down in the dry hay, letting the structure block it from the wind.

Kageyama threw a log into the fireplace, watching the wood crackle when it hit the flames. The warmth began to spread around his living room, making him sigh in relief. The nights were getting colder and colder, he should make sure he’s stocked up on wood for the winter. A new coat and extra layers wouldn’t hurt either… 

He wiped his hands on his pants, clearing away anything that threatened to splinter his dry skin, and accidentally catching a glance of something on his coffee table. There, the book sat, heavy and intimidating in its presence. Kageyama couldn’t help but think back to earlier, when that man handed him the book. The energy and magic he felt just from holding the thing made a shiver run up his spine. Something about the thing felt dangerous, but an itch had formed in Kageyama’s mind the first time he laid hands on the thing. It was like an urge he couldn’t resist. In an instant he was on his couch, picking up the thing and flipping it right open. He didn’t even bother with the first page, letting the book decide where it wanted to take him. The old thing’s binding gave no protest, probably from decades of use. Dust came up to tickle his nose and he finally let his eyes settle on the contents of the page. He breathed in deeply upon seeing the ancient text, the smell of fresh-burned cedar and dust filling his senses.

**"Animate the deceased"**

**"Thy dead will rise shall thee make thy crow die. Cover up thy lies and ye shall receive thy prize. Beware thou that flies, they come for thy prize. Be nothing but wise or else thyself is thy one that dies."**

The words written before him were written in an incomprehensible language, scratching in old ink that was faded in some spots and pigmented in others. He could pick out letters from the book, trying to understand what the words were trying to tell him. After sitting for a solid five… ten… fifteen minutes, he huffed and threw the book aside. Anger boiled in his blood as he let his leg shake out the frustration, his teeth gritting together painfully. Why the fuck would the witch give him a book he couldn’t read?! Was this a sick joke? Was it a punishment for straying from lesson work in all his classes? This wasn’t fucking funny.

“What the fuck!” He seethed, throwing his coffee table forward, schoolwork and the tome falling from it, landing dangerously close to his fireplace. He breathed deeply as he let his blood boil, the action seeming dramatic for him. It was a stupid fucking book after all. He shouldn’t let an ugly, old witch make him as angry as he was. Now feeling the slightest trace of guilt for his outburst, he cast a weary eye towards the contents of his table, now by the fire. The warm light shined upon the floor and its contents, making them glow orange and yellow. A glint caught his eye as he looked upon the old spell book, the tome still miraculously open on the same page. Except this time…

Kageyama’s breath caught as he jumped forward, hands clenched tight around either side of the book. He held it up to the fire, the warm light spilling generously onto the pages, illuminating some kind of transparent ink. And this writing, he _could_ understand. Though, it only displayed a list of ingredients, telling him how much to put in and the order.

“So, a potion then?”

Kageyama scanned the list, his eyes picking out familiar ingredients.

“Ginseng root…tears of a mother…daffodil petals…tiger’s eye ore…crysanthemum leaves…”

His breath caught on the last one, his eyes reading and rereading the words. On the page, the last ingredient on the list simply read:

**_“The foot of a live crow”_ **

A live crow? What does it matter if it’s dead or alive? Kageyama thoughts went to crows, always taught to be a bad omen in his classes. It was encouraged to never take on a crow as a familiar. While having them as companions was common in old times, witches began to learn that crows brought on bad luck, and in more cases than not, death. It was much preferred to have other familiars, ones not always associated with bad luck. Besides, other creatures seemed to be more willing to assist in magic, rather than the foul tempered birds that cawed their songs of death throughout the day and night.

Reading through the list again, Kageyama weighed his options. This was an old book of witchery, probably passed down for decades to a line of powerful witches. An old witch from his training school had given it to him and then promptly disappeared, not telling him anything more than, “you’re powerful, take this book”. The book itself gave off dangerous but energetic magical energy that made him want to bury the book, and yet… he felt as though something called to a place deep within him. He couldn’t read the book, but he could feel the potion on the page speaking to him, anxious to be given life after all these years of waiting. So, he had two options. Ignore the book completely and move on with his life… _or_ create and test the mystery potion and see what happens. While the anxiety in his gut made him consider the first option, that itch returned, and oh how he _desperately_ wanted to _scratch it._

Standing from where he crouched near the fireplace, he cast a glance back to the book. ‘Wouldn’t hurt to try and get some of these ingredients… just for fun.’

He grabbed his coat. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I've had this draft sitting in my documents for ages, so I finally wanted to post it and see what you guys think. I have a nice storyline planned out for this fic, which I would love to continue! I just want to hear from you guys first, so feel free to leave any feedback in the comments! If I get a lot of people wanting to read more, I would be more than happy to continue this story! Thanks, and have a lovely night! :)


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